The Wing of Zion official state plane was grounded after one of its wings was damaged as it was towed to the garage, Ynet learned Wednesday. This is the second time the plane has been damaged in less than two months; in July a crack was discovered in the plane's cockpit window.
The damage likely will be fixed before two upcoming scheduled flights: President Isaac Herzog's visit Serbia and Albania next week, and the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's trip to address the UN General Assembly in New York on September 23.
"During the towing of the aircraft into the garage, as a result of human error, the wing tip cover hit the garage door. The incident was reported to the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel, it was investigated and lessons were learned. The wing was properly tested by IAI engineers according to proper procedures and the wing tip cover was replaced. Malfunctions are not a rare thing in airplanes. Whenever damage is discovered, it is handled according to Boeing's procedures by the Israel Aerospace Industry team," according to the director responsible for the plane in the Prime Minister's Office.
In July, a crack in the windshield was discovered when the plane landed in Washington on the preparation flight before Netanyahu's last trip to the U.S. The crack did not interfere with the landing, and the plane returned to Israel and continued to fly as usual after the crack was repaired.
Wing of Zion is a 20-year-old Boeing 767, and much has already been written about the expense it incurred turning it into the prime minister's official plane. It landed for the first time in Israel in July 2016 and since then has gone through a long process of upgrading, refurbishing, adjusting and also quite a few struggles over the decision whether it would be pressed into service or not. The plane has 120 seats - but for the time being it can only carry 80 passengers. About a third of the plane that is nicknamed "Israeli Air Force 1" belongs to the Prime Minister and includes a bedroom, a small shower, a makeup mirror and seats for security guards and secretaries.
In the past it was reported that about 730 million shekels had been invested in the plane, but the Prime Minister's Office said that the actual amount was about 400 million shekels as determined by the cabinet at the time. The 2022 State Comptroller's report noted that security modifications to the plane were delayed, partly due to the late integration of the Shin Bet's requirements, which oversees protection for the prime minister.
The costs of the plane also increased due to changes in design and couches that Prime Minister Netanyahu's office demanded for the personal area built for him on the plane, at a cost of approximately 60 million shekels. Among other things, a shower cost of 4.3 million shekels, and an entertainment system at a cost 2 million shekels were added to the plane at an advanced stage. The plane also has an operating room, similar to the U.S. president's Air Force 1. It is located inside the plane's conference room, and "at the push of a button" it is transformed into an operating room where life-saving surgeries can be performed in emergencies.
Former Prime Minister Yair Lapid opposed the use of the plane and ordered to examine its sale. Following his instructions, the plane was grounded and several systems were dismantled, including a missile defense system, which has since been reinstated. Upon Prime Minister Netanyahu's return to power, he ordered it to be used and prepared for flight.